This invention relates generally to a human vehicle interface, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for a human interface to vehicle secondary controls.
Conventional automobiles are equipped with a moderate number of secondary (non-driving) control systems, such as audio and heating-ventilation-air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, for example. The human-vehicle controls for these systems typically use dedicated buttons or knobs for each secondary function in a vicinity close to the driver, herein referred to as “prime real estate.” A one-to-one relationship between control system functions and human-vehicle control instruments (knobs, sliders, buttons, etc.) is advantageous in that the force characteristic (detents, stops, frictional resistance, for example) of each instrument can be tailored for an appropriate ease-of-use for the associated function. However, as the number of secondary control systems increases to include such additional systems as telephonic and navigational systems, for example, the prime real estate quickly becomes congested or more broadly distributed, and eventually there is no room left for additional control instruments. Also, the presence of more and more control buttons and knobs creates a visually complex interface, which may be counter to the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle. As an alternative, a trend is developing that utilizes control buttons and knobs that have more than one control capability, such as an audio volume control button having a push-in characteristic to control the left-right speaker volume balance, for example. Further improvements in the area of human-vehicle interface will enable more control systems to be controlled by fewer control buttons.